Word
defendant
Phoneticsde·fen·dant, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈfɛndənt/
UK/dɪfˈɛndənt/
Countable noun Law
Definition
n. the person in a court case who is accused of doing something wrong or illegal.
n. the individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law. In criminal cases, this is the person charged with an offence; in civil cases, it is the party responding to a complaint.
Examples
“The defendant stood up when the judge entered the room.”
“The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges after consulting with her legal team for several hours.”
“Legal counsel for the defendant argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was circumstantial and failed to meet the burden of proof required for a conviction.”
Examples
simple
“The defendant stood up when the judge entered the room.”
contextual
“The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges after consulting with her legal team for several hours.”
complex
“Legal counsel for the defendant argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was circumstantial and failed to meet the burden of proof required for a conviction.”
Usage
In criminal law, the term is used for the person charged; in civil law, it refers to the person being sued.
Teaching tip
Learners should distinguish this from 'plaintiff' (the person who starts the case) and 'suspect' (the person the police think did it before the trial starts).
Real-World Examples
“The first defendant to be called in admitted that he had travelled abroad with his partner and daughter for 10 days at the start of the summer term.” “Though these efforts began with attempts to ensure rights for criminal defendants, they were not limited to that context.” Etymology
From Middle English defendaunt (“defending; defending in a suit”), borrowed from Old French defendant, present participle of defendre, from Latin dēfendere.
From Middle English defendaunt (“defendant in a suit; defender”), borrowed from Old French defendant, nominalisation of defendant; see above.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/defendant